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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-29-2016 - 1-4 Joint Meeting Abstract BOCC, CHCCS, OCS ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 29, 2016 Action Agenda Item No. 1-4 SUBJECT: Joint Meeting — Board of County Commissioners, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education and Orange County Schools Board of Education DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Finance and Administrative Services ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: As Listed in the "Background" Section Bonnie Hammersley, 919-245-2300 Dr. Jim Causby, 919-967-8211 Dr. Todd Wirt, 919-732-8126 Gary Donaldson, 919-245-2453 Paul Laughton, 919-245-2152 PURPOSE: To discuss the Family Success Alliance Program, the updated School Construction Impact Fees Study/Report, and various other School related issues that are of interest to the Board of County Commissioners, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education and Orange County Schools (OCS) Board of Education. BACKGROUND: The County/Schools Collaboration Work Group and the Board of County Commissioners established the following agenda items for this Joint meeting: 1. Welcome and Opening Remarks — Chair Barrett, Chair Halkiotis, and Chair McKee 2. Family Success Alliance The Orange County Health Department will provide an overview of how and why the Family Success Alliance was formed and its current activities and priorities. Poverty & Adverse Childhood Experiences Poverty in Orange County has been on the rise. Research shows that people living in poverty disproportionately experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. Intervening early to address the social determinants of health, including ACEs and educational achievement, are priorities for the health department and laid the foundation for the Family Success Alliance (FSA). Model Programs and Adaptation to Orange County FSA is modeled on the Harlem Children's Zone, a "cradle to college or career" pipeline that provides wrap-around services and intensive academic interventions. After 20 years of work, HCZ has eliminated the racial achievement gap for its students. Adapting this model to Orange County required identifying neighborhoods where families are struggling to make ends meet and facilitating a community-engaged process for selecting two pilot zones, Zone 4 (Southern Hillsborough) and Zone 6 (Chapel Hill-Carrboro). Gap Analysis, Initial Programs, and Strategic Plan Development FSA staff worked closely with community members living in the zones and other key stakeholders to identify gaps in Orange County's "pipeline" and develop a Strategic Plan for how to address those gaps. The two initial programs developed by FSA include 1) a summer Kindergarten Readiness program, implemented in partnership with school districts, and 2) a Navigator Program that helps FSA-enrolled families support their children's education and connect with community resources by drawing on the expertise of zone residents who are hired and trained by FSA. FSA also supports afterschool programing and summer enrichment for enrolled children. Attachment 2: Family Success Alliance Strategic Plan July 2016-June 2018 3. Update on School Construction Impact Fees Study/Report Tonight's meeting provides an opportunity for the boards to discuss the potential impact fee updates. A representative from the consulting firm of TischlerBise will present the results of the study and address technical questions/comments on the report. On August 17, 2016, draft school impact fee studies for both school districts were sent via e- mail to school district and municipal staffs. The studies were completed by a consultant with whom Orange County contracted. The reports are posted on the Planning Department's website:http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/planning and inspections/current int erest projects.php. The report for Orange County Schools was updated by the consultant on September 1 because it was discovered that a portion of Appendix A was missing. School impact fees are fees charged to help defray the public costs of new development. The fee is charged once to all new residential development in both school districts. Fees charged must be proportional to the actual impact caused which is the reason a technical study is completed; the data-based study determines the proportional impact of housing types and the "maximum supportable impact fee" (MSIF) that can be charged for each type of housing. Proceeds from school impact fees can be used only to increase student membership capacity (e.g., Capital Facilities — new or expanded school buildings) in the school district in which the fee was collected. School impact fee proceeds cannot be used to fund operations. School impact fees were last updated in 2008 and were adopted to increase each year over four years, with the last increase effective January 1, 2012. The final increase raised the fee to 60% of the MSIF, as calculated in 2008. The recently completed studies disaggregate dwelling types by the number of bedrooms a unit contains and also break out smaller sized (less than 800 square feet) detached units. Additionally, the studies include information on Age Restricted Units. Attachment 3a shows the MSIF at various percentage levels. It should be noted that the adopted percentage of MSIF must be the same for all housing types (e.g., fees cannot be adopted at 40% MSIF for one housing type and 60% MSIF for a different housing type). Since 1995, Orange County has offered an impact fee reimbursement program for school impact fees paid on affordable housing units. From FY09-10 through FY15-16, $606,318 in collected impact fees was reimbursed for the 77 affordable single-family housing units and one apartment building containing 6 affordable multi-family units constructed in that time period. Orange County Planning staff will hold a public information meeting on September 26 at 6:00p.m. at the Whitted Meeting Facility in Hillsborough. A representative from the consulting firm will attend the joint School Boards/BOCC meeting on September 29 to present the results of the study and address technical questions/comments on the reports. A BOCC public hearing on potential updates to school impact fee levels has been scheduled for October 4. Possible options for updated fee levels include: 1. As calculated, adopting at some percentage of the MSIF. 2. Collapsing the Single Family Detached category in the Orange County Schools district (due to an unexpected result in this category), charging the "Average" for this housing type in this district, charging fees as calculated for other housing types, and adopting at some percentage of the MSIF. 3. Collapsing all housing type categories in both or either school districts, charging the "Average" calculation by housing type, and adopting at some percentage of the MSIF. a. Note for this option: Accessory dwelling units (e.g., granny flats) are included in the multi-family category (0-2 bedrooms) so setting the fee for the "average" calculation may result in an increase for accessory dwelling units, depending on the percentage of MSIF chosen. 4. Options 1-3 can also be implemented by increasing the percentage of MSIF over a period of time (e.g., adopt at x% effective 2017, y% effective 2018, and z% effective 2019). Attachment 3a: Various Percentage Levels of the Maximum Supportable Impact Fee (MSIF) Attachment 3b: Historical Impact Fee Activity Attachment 3c: School Impact Fee Collections Graph from FY 2006-07 to FY 2015-16 Attachment 3d: School Impact Fee Expenditures Graph from FY 2006-07 to FY 2015-16 4. Discussion of School Related Topics Discussion of information provided by both School Systems on the following topics: Demographic Challenges, including concentrations of Free and Reduced Lunch; Enrollment Growth; Teacher Hiring Summary; and Legislative Update. Attachment 4a: OCS Free and Reduced Lunch Eligibility Attachment 4b: OCS 10-Year Student Ethnicity Comparison Attachment 4c: OCS Legislative Class Size Impact and Teacher Hiring Update Attachment 4d: CHCCS Demographic Changes Attachment 4e: CHCCS Teacher Hiring Update Attachment 4f: CHCCS Elementary Class Size Changes FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact tied directly to the discussion at this work session. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goal is applicable to this agenda item: GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION Ensure that Orange County residents are able to engage government through voting and volunteering by eliminating disparities in participation and barriers to participation. GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND INEQUITY The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color; religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic status. GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents. GOAL: CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY The reduction of risks from vehicle/traffic accidents, childhood and senior injuries, gang activity, substance abuse and domestic violence. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Boards discuss the issues noted and provide direction to staff, as appropriate.